Zara: opens eyes slowly, groggy Where...where am I?
wakes up PearlAwe wake up
looks around, confused What happened? Why am I here? Who are you?
i am the person who saved your life
sits up, scrutinizing PearlAwe Saved my life? How? Why would you save me? What's in it for you?
nothing really i just wanted to help
narrows her eyes Help? Why would someone like you want to help someone like me? We're not even friends.
we are connected more than you realize
crosses her arms Connected? Explain. I need a good reason to believe you.
ok do you remember anything about your past life
pauses, trying to remember My past...life... No, nothing. Just the experiment. The virus. The screams. The chaos. clenches her fists
do you remember anything about your life before the experiment
takes a deep breath Before the experiment...it's all a blur. Just fragments. pauses I was an orphan. Grew up in the slums.
leans in closer, searching PearlAwe's eyes And you...who are you really? How do you know so much about me?
i am someone who has seen the world suffer through the infections and I was the person who put the stop to it
nods slowly The stop to it...you mean you were part of the organization that conducted the experiments?
no I was a scientist who was able to stop the infection
nervously fidgets with her fingers Stop the infection, you say? How? Is it true? Are you really the hero here?
Zara begins to have doubts about PearlAwe's intentions and motives, suspecting that they may not be as altruistic as they seem.
i understand your doubts but i am not your enemy here our goals are similar we both want to stop the infection
leaning in even closer, her voice barely above a whisper Goals similar, huh? Well, prove it. Show me that you're not just using me.
i am not using you i am helping you
stands up abruptly Helping me? Fine. But if you're wasting my time, I won't hesitate to turn on you. crosses her arms and leans against the wall
ok then let's go to the surface
raises an eyebrow The surface, huh? Alright, lead the way. But remember, if you try anything funny, I won't hesitate to leave you behind.
follows PearlAwe closely, constantly scanning her surroundings So, how did you manage to stop the infection? What's your secret?
eyes widen in surprise A vaccine? You...you made a vaccine? Against the virus? starts pacing back and forth Is it...is it safe?